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Showing results for happen. Search instead for nonhappen.
Definitions

happen

[hap-uhn] / ˈhæp ən /
VERB
come to pass; occur
Synonyms
STRONGEST
appear arise arrive crop up develop fall go on hit materialize meet pass result take effect take place transpire
STRONG
befall betide bump chance down ensue eventuate follow issue light proceed recur shake smoke spring stumble supervene
WEAK
be found become a fact become known become of come about come after come into being come into existence come off luck present itself stumble upon turn out turn up what goes
Antonyms
STRONGEST
cease disappear fail halt lose stop
STRONG
precede

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That performance will likely happen later this year after McKellen returns from New Zealand, where he’s making his return as Gandalf in Andy Serkis’ “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

"This is the staggering reality of what can happen when even well-meaning owners become overwhelmed - over-breeding can take over, and conditions can spiral out of control."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

But “it needed to happen relatively quickly to stop oil futures from joining the cash markets in the $140s for Brent, and perhaps that was the point,” he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

By identifying changes between photos captured before December 2009 and after December 2012, they were able to narrow down when the impact occurred, even though no one actually saw it happen.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

The trees were utterly still waiting to see what would happen.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver